


Tinder

by Dream_Wreaver



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Character Study, Dreamscapes, F/M, Introspection, Meetings in Dreams, Mid Season 3, sparxshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver
Summary: Tinder n.- dry, flammable material, used for lighting a fireOr in which, all it takes is a couple of sparks, or sparx, as the case may be.
Relationships: Bloom/Valtor | Baltor (Winx Club)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Tinder

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas one and all! I have been nostalgic for the show (well, the first 3 seasons anyways) and this ship for a little bit. So I finally caved and wrote something for it. 7k of character study and a bit of romance? In a single day? Apparently not a problem! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this, let me know if you think I got the characterizations off.
> 
> Oh, one more quick note; I am using the original spelling of his name (Valtor) but as I grew up on the 4kids dub I will be using the names for other characters/places (Tides, Sparx, etc.) I am just keeping Valtor because it matches his mark and I never understood why they went with Baltor, unless they were going for a pronunciation similar to Spanish, in which the letter v makes a soft b sound as it does when they use that spelling. Anyways, I'm rambling now, enjoy the story!

It was hard to explain a connection to an enemy that no one else could possibly comprehend. Sure, some of the other Winx had their opposites in the Trix, Bloom herself had Icy, Stella had Darcy -though with that little mind trick pulled on Riven she was perhaps more Musa’s enemy than anyone else, and Stormy, the embodiment of unpredictability and chaos, well she most found her opposite in either Techna or perhaps Flora, whose specialties were order and life. But though she and Icy were rivals, there was no deep and overreaching connection between them besides likely their own prides and the clash of their very elements of nature. But fire beat ice, every time. It was different to meet Valtor, whom she’d felt an instant connection with the moment they’d first laid eyes on each other. It wasn’t like the connection she’d felt to Darkar, who was her opposite, the yin to her yang, the complete opposite of all that she was, and all she ever would be. Where she was light, was life itself, he was darkness and decay. It was a recognition of equal and opposite power, the knowledge that they alone would be the ones powerful enough to destroy each other.

But with Valtor, it wasn’t like that. Sure, there was that darkness within him, he’d been created by the Ancesstresses, Mothers of all Witches and servants to Darkar himself, after all. But Valtor was in the grand scheme of things, not an entity that was complete evil like his creators of their master had been. He was a corrupted spark, something not entirely good but not entirely evil. Just like any other person arguably. But for Bloom, it went deeper than that, their shared connection to the Dragon Fire, coupled with them being the last ones who did, it bonded them on a deeper level than she thought most others could understand. The best way to describe it in words, which she found lackluster in this instance but would attempt to make do with, was that her connection with Valtor was very much like looking into a funhouse mirror. The visage was recognizable, familiar; but also distorted, warped even. The darkness within him, molded and nurtured by his origins made him at once familiar and alien, like a distorted version of herself. Much like she had been under the spell of the false Avalon.

Yes, she felt a kinship with the dark wizard, but it went deeper than that. Her fire recognized his own, as it had from the very beginning, and despite his role in her past she couldn’t help the nagging feeling there was more to him than plain and simple villainy. She recalled their official introduction on Tides. He was her enemy, and yet… hadn’t he attempted not to be? It was confusing to consider, but she recalled other enemies; when she was seen as a threat most attempted to either capture or destroy her. He had done neither. Which was strange, circular, even.

Logically, he could have been rid of her. She’d taken a pillar of ice to the back, between the shock of the cold and the impact, plus falling out of the sky and into the corrupted waters of Tides, it would have been an easy victory. Especially since she’d been weak from fighting the Trix, and Icy in particular. He could have let her drown, she had been knocked out for a good seconds, and she knew from experience on Earth it didn’t take too long to drown, especially not when submerged. But he hadn’t. He’d raised an entire structure up from the water beneath her, and then he’d slowly walked towards her, lifted a hand not in threat. He’d been gentle, so gentle, far more gentle than one might think someone like him could be capable of. His voice had been soft, caring, especially when combined with the gentle touch of his hand against the tuft of her hair, the fingers that barely brushed against her forehead. She’d felt the inner flame flicker in response, recognizing a piece of itself in him.

He’d told her they were connected, that she was born to be his enemy, to challenge his attempted conquest of the Magical Dimension. But he still hadn’t taken her out. He’d offered to spare her, so long as she’d stayed out of his way. It was only when she’d refused him that he’d his more sinister side had begun to show through. But even then, he hadn’t raised a hand to her. As a matter of fact he hadn’t even seemed upset; but more as though he was disappointed, hoping she wouldn’t oppose him but resigned to the fact that she did. He’d said he’d wanted to avoid this, but with her choice there had been no other path open to them. It very easily could have been a lie. It had been what she’d told herself so many times after that meeting. But even then, all he’d done was take her attack and crush it within his hands. Startled as she’d been she’d been able to quash down the tiny flicker of amazement at this display of power. Power was not something she’d ever aspired to, so she didn’t really find herself attracted to it in any meaning of the word. Yet it _had_ been impressive, as unfortunate as that was.

He had refused to fight her when she was weak; claimed that that sort of victory would be unsatisfying for them both. Even though he was certain that not even the entire Winx Club at their full strength would be able to defeat him. Of course, that was before they’d all gained their Enchantix, perhaps he’d been truthful in that assessment. Regardless, she’d left that altercation more sure than ever that she could do nothing but loathe the man who had blinded her friend with dark magic.

They had been fortunate Layla’s sacrifice had given her the power to reverse his curse. But it had been an incredibly close call, too close for comfort. And it only served to cement the fact that he would do anything to get his way, it didn’t matter who he hurt, who he used, everyone was just a pawn in his game. And he would use everyone else’s desires to achieve his own ends. He’d done it with Countess Cassandra and Chimera, he’d done it with the Trix, and he’d done it with Diaspro as well. That last one made Bloom’s heart ache whenever she thought about it. How hard she’d worked to get that library cleaned, how hard she’d worked at princess lessons for a ball where she ended up being both personally humiliated and emotionally destroyed. It had been due to Valtor’s little gift to Diaspro, a love potion as they’d later found out. She’d been branded a traitor, an assistant to the sorcerer she sought to defeat. She’d run for her life and seen pure hatred in Sky’s eyes, but it wasn’t until now that she thought about it in more depth.

It was a rare moment of quiet. Cloud Tower was still his base of operations for now, but they all lay in wait, trying to figure out what his next move would be and stop it. But without any further indications or news, all they could do was go on with life, ready to go off and stop him when he next reared his head. But it left time. Too much time, in Bloom’s opinion. Time to reflect on all he had done, and wonder why. She knew that Cassandra and Chimera had given him the power of the star of Solaria in exchange for his aid. Valtor was self serving, he never did anything without benefiting from it. Blinding Layla had provided him a cover for escape and demonstrated just how much of a force to be reckoned with he was. Stealing spells and turning the mermaids of Tides and the witches of Cloud Tower into mindless minions provided him an army of beings his opponents would not wish to harm but would need to fight through in order to get to him. A living defense, as it were. But Diaspro? Bloom still couldn’t figure that out. He’d not asked for the powers of Isis in exchange for the power to make Sky love the spoiled princess. He’d simply appeared and gifted the potion to her, if Diaspro’s testimony was to be believed at any rate.

Yet no matter how much logic she tried to apply to the situation given all the information she had, it still didn’t make sense. He’d given Diaspro the power to put Sky under control, with nothing to barter for in return. Bloom, the girlfriend of Sky, and thus the rival of Sky’s ex-fiancee Diaspro, was born to be his enemy and thus would be hurt -as she had been- when Sky’s affections were influenced to return to to the princess of Isis. Bloom herself had believed that because they’d been engaged, because they’d both been raised in royalty, that he had hidden his royal lineage from her before, it only made sense they would reunite. Diaspro, despite Bloom’s personal qualms, would make a better Queen than Bloom ever could. She was a guardian fairy first and foremost, and the protection of the entire magical dimension would always take precedence over one particular planet.

But if Valtor was such a strategist, why had he not prepared for what had happened? Perhaps he hadn’t expected Diaspro to get a little crazed with the power she held over him. Much like Cassandra had turned King Radius against his own daughter after Chimera had turned Stella into a monstrous version of herself, Diaspro had turned Sky against the entire Winx Club. That had been the fatal flaw. It had nearly worked, Sky’s returned affections for Diaspro, however falsely concocted, were natural enough. It followed a chain of logic. And if the plan had been to hurt her, it had certainly worked. She’d been devastated, though she’d managed the strength to put on a smile for her friends. It had hurt, so much, and the worry of the parents had provided her with an excellent excuse to run, run from everything. But hadn’t been able to escape.

Sky had always been her prince, even before she’d known he was actually a prince. As Brandon the same sort of charm and manners had been baked into his personality. It was simply who he was. But she had taken massive emotional damage when she’d found out, through someone else instead of from him directly no less, that he was actually a prince. A prince with a _fiancee_ , to be precise. While they had moved past it with communication and a rebuilding of their trust. It really hadn’t been until he’d helped free her from the darker version of herself by confessing his love that she had really and truly healed from the incident. And maybe that was why Diaspro’s little scheme had hurt so much, not because of what he had done, but because of what had been done after all they’d been through.

Perhaps it was foolish to believe what she felt for him was true love, after all Sky was the first guy she’d dated since she’d found out she was a fairy. And while Andy was sweet she wouldn’t call what they’d shared during their brief time together love. There had been affection, attraction, but nothing on the deep emotional level she’d felt for Sky. Bloom loved Sky, she really and truly did. Of course it had hurt to lose him, it had hurt to hear him call her a witch, say she worked in league with Valtor, and she’d told her mom as much during her time back in Gardenia. Thankfully, her mother had been more level-headed, because Bloom had never even considered he might be under a spell until that moment. 

She had been able to save him, that was all that mattered. Her heart had warmed at finally being able to hold her beloved prince and to see him look upon her without hatred. And yet, there was a sort of odd resignation along with their momentary victory. Because that’s what it was, momentary. Sky would always have people after him, as would Bloom. They would be turned against one another if either of them were not constantly on guard. And was that any way to live? The love she felt for Sky was very much like a wildfire; passionate, all consuming. It blazed bright and burned hot. However, part of her wondered if that was due to the chaos of their lives. Would their love be as intense and all consuming if he were not a prince? If she were not the heiress of Sparx? If she was simply an ordinary fairy asked to stay out of the way and demuring into the safety of the unnoticed? Bloom wasn’t sure. Theirs was a bond that had been forged by peril and threat, could they ever have a normal life even beyond threats to the magical dimension popping up every year or so? Even if it did, would that be a good thing? The fire of their affection was constantly fed by the threat of losing one another. Presumably, once everything settled down so too would their affections, never dying away, but turning from a roaring inferno to a comfortable blaze. It was first love coupled with the danger of her being one of the only people able to save the dimension on a regular basis. Bloom tried to imagine a life further in the future, with them together, him ruling Eraklyon, her by his side. Something in her went cold at the thought of being that planet’s queen. Not because of the planet itself, or its people, but rather at the sudden knowledge that as Queen it would just be one more barrier of separation between her and everyone else around her. Surrounded, but all alone. The last of her kind, except for _him_.

Valtor, by his own words her destined enemy. Who desired solely to isolate her, to incite her emotions and make her lose control of her powers. But why? Her powers flared in accordance of her emotions, that was true, but he should know that breaking her emotionally wouldn’t render her weak and helpless, and unlike others he didn’t desire her power for his own. So what was his goal? To nurture her hatred of him until it made her blind to anything but his destruction? Was it to make her sloppy? To keep her weak through strategy and careful decimation of her most cherished relationships? She just didn’t understand. What she didn’t understand more though, was why the thought of needing to destroy him left her heart clenching in agony. She had lost her entire planet because of him. Family, friends, a sense of home. And while she adored her adoptive parents from Earth, knew that their love was not a consolation prize for the tragic circumstances of her infancy, it still killed her inside to have that tiny kernel of knowledge that even if her birth parents were not dead, their planet was. Wherever Oritel and Miriam were, she could not find, and she could not follow. They may as well have been dead, at least then Bloom would have closure instead of the gaping maw of traitorous hope that beat in her chest. Hope that was exacerbated by Valtor’s existence. He knew, what had happened to her parents. But would he ever tell her? Most likely not, as he had nothing to gain from sharing it.

She should hate him. She did. With the same fervor as she loved Sky. Yet as much as she never hoped it would come to such a situation, as much as she would never try to stop saving him should worse come to worse; Bloom knew that she would be willing to stand against him, even outright oppose him, if it meant doing the right thing. She knew the right thing would be to defeat Valtor. To at best send him back to the Omega Dimension, to at worst destroy his darkness with fairy dust and return that spark to its home within her. But could she live with herself regardless? To know with great certainty, once and for all, that there was no one like her, and that there never would be? To be alone, again? She hated Valtor, for all that he had done, but perhaps the thing she hated him the most for was that he made her feel like she wasn’t alone anymore. That there was someone who knew her, on a deeper level than anyone who did not possess the power of the Dragon Fire could ever know her. To destroy him, or even to lock him away -even if that meant he could no longer do harm to anyone- left her feeling empty.

 _“You were born to be my enemy,”_ his words repeated in her mind, voice that even cadence of both gentility and smug superiority. Those words that once sounded true now rang hollow in her ears. As if it were an excuse. Another lie of his.

Born to be his enemy. Said as though there would be no end to their opposition. That her fate was to face him time and again. To win, and to lose. But how much more could she? One way or another, it would have to end. Either he would triumph and rule the entire magical dimension, draining it of its spells, perhaps its very magic. Or she would defeat him, perhaps even destroy him. She would be victorious, but she would also be alone, again. Bloom’s heart tightened with pain deep inside her chest, the conflicting emotions were enough to drive someone mad.

Perhaps she already was. Looking back it was too easy to read more into his words than was probably there. Born to be his enemy. Born to be _his_ enemy. Her heart thudded hard in her chest at the thought, the same sort of frantic pace it took when she thought of Sky. Bloom shook her head, what an utterly ridiculous notion. Fated enemies, destined to fight, and yet so similar. Just like looking in a funhouse mirror. Bloom sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, and realizing when she opened them again time had slipped away from her while she was lost in her thoughts. The late afternoon sun had been golden and warm when she’d taken a spot at the window in her room. Now, it was dark, she checked her phone and found several missed attempts at communication. Calls, and then finally a message left by Stella which explained that the Solarian fairy had tried to no avail to wake her from her musings and that she and the girls had gone to get some food. They would be back soon.

So here she was, alone, in her room. Alone, always alone. Surrounded by friend, never lonely, but alone nonetheless. But she wasn’t anymore. Though she couldn’t use it as a tracking method of any kind -not that it mattered since everyone knew where Valtor was, just couldn’t get close enough to approach him- Bloom knew she could focus on her power and reach out with it, searching and seeking and that she would find him. An answering flicker of his own power that let her know he was out there, that he was alive, that his flame hadn’t been extinguished. She hated that she took even a small modicum of comfort from that. And she hated even more that she could never explain it to the others. They wouldn’t understand. They had their planets, their people, their shared power. Bloom only had herself, and now him.

Her stomach was tied in knots, and she didn’t feel like eating. So she retired to her room, and settled down in her bed. She tossed and turn, restless even as her body began to sink into sleep. Her dreams as of late had been more of fragmented memories from her infancy. Images she shouldn’t remember with as much clarity as she did, all things considered. Maybe the power of the Dragon Fire could recall what she herself could not, and thus provided scraps of the events that had happened on Sparx so long ago. But this time, it held none of those events. Merely broken shards of images that she moved by too quickly to truly see. She found herself on some sort of rocky outcropping, nothing on it but herself, and nothing beyond it but ghostly mist and the infinite abyss of dreams.

Though she could see no one else Bloom knew she was not alone. Eyes, unseen, were nonetheless watching her. It was a sensation she was familiar with, something she only associated with… _him_. Sure enough, Valtor stepped out of the mist, confident and composed as always; a barely there smirk curling at one corner of his mouth. He didn’t look surprised to be there, but then again, he was just a manifestation of her thoughts and emotions. Why should he be? He wasn’t the real Valtor.

Or rather, he wasn’t until he asked, “So to what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned here Bloom?” his smirk grew deeper as he added, “Couldn’t get me out of your head?”

Bloom folded her arms, finding herself in fairy form, but not her Enchantix, strange.

“As if I would ever bring _you_ into my dreams,” she shot back at him, “Though since you’re here I suppose I could more accurately call it a nightmare,”

“So determined to see me as nothing more than a monster Bloom?” he chuckles, “I’m flattered I take up so much of your thoughts you even see me in sleep,”

“I don’t dream about you,” Bloom seethed, feeling her form hover in the air, wings beating fast to alleviate some of the irate tension she feels surging through her body.

“And yet, here I am,” he spreads his hands out as though his appearance is proof positive to his theory.

“How can I be sure this isn’t something _you’re_ doing?” Bloom asks him in response, “Tampering with my dreams, it fits the sort of magic you practice after all.”

“My dear princess,” he chuckles, lowly, and she hates the shiver it sends down her spine, “I told you exactly what I want. I want to be the greatest sorcerer in the magical dimension, everything I have ever done has been to reach that goal. Tell me,” he looks straight at her as though he has nothing to hide, “What purpose would my meddling with your thoughts in such a manner achieve? Does it bring me any closer to my goal?”

“I could argue giving Diaspro a love potion while asking nothing in return would be the same,” Bloom countered.

“But it did,” Valtor corrected her, “It hurt you, enough to leave the magical dimension altogether, didn’t it?”

She had no retort for that. He was right. She’d been heartbroken and so she’d fled, even knowing that he was out there, and what he planned to do however vaguely. But she couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it than that,

“Maybe so,” she allowed, “But was that really the whole plan? The whole purpose?”

“Sometimes the simplest plans are the most effective,” Valtor shrugged, “And as for searching for meaning where there is none, that was in fact the whole point.”

“You’re lying,” Bloom said, quite sure of herself despite there being absolutely no tell.

“And again I ask you, why would I?” he countered, “I only lie when I can benefit from it. What do I gain from telling you there was only one purpose if there was in fact not?”

“Your pride,” Bloom whispered with sudden realization. She did not know everything about the man standing before her. But she knew enough. Enough to know that his was a malice that demanded presentation and attention. And that he hated it when his spotlight was stolen from him, when the control was even momentarily taken away.

Valtor raised a brow at her, but said nothing, clearly believing she was just rambling on about nothing, connecting dots where there was nothing to connect.

“That’s it!” her wings fluttered with high energy as suddenly everything made sense. He wanted to prove he was the best, he wanted to conquer the world not because it was his created ambition, if conquest was all he cared about he would have been more than content to resurrect Darkar. But he hadn’t. He wanted it for himself, to prove he was greater than those who had created him.

“Dare I ask what outlandish conclusion you seem to have jumped to?” Valtor asked her, sounding as always bored and like this was a waste of his valuable time.

“You said that you and I were destined to be enemies,” Bloom reminded him, “That I was born to challenge your reign. This wasn’t about putting me out of commission, was it?”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,”

“You know me, you know me better than you should,” Bloom accused him, “You know exactly what would happen if I had nothing left to lose. I would become entirely focused on defeating you, or rather, I would become obsessed _with_ you,”

“And why would I want that?” Valtor asked her, folding his arms, “I already have to deal with the likes of the Trix, you honestly believe I’d want another sycophant?”

“But I wouldn’t be one,” Bloom corrected him, “Because mine would be wanting to take you down. You wanted a challenge, a real victory. You knew if I didn’t have anything left to fight for, I’d fight all the harder. And when you defeated me, you’d feel like you’d earned it.”

He was silent a moment, and then he began to laugh. Not in a way that implied malice, or contempt, but as though she had genuinely touched his sense of humor, “You are an interesting little spitfire aren’t you; fairy of the Dragon Fire?”

“Tell me I’m wrong then,” Bloom said as she placed her hands on her hips, “Tell me that’s not what the plan was,”

But rather than answer her, he simply shook his head and strode closer to her. Even floating in the air, she only just met his eyes. This was her dream, she should be the one in control, and yet she felt powerless as he reached out, just as he had done on Tides, and gently took a tuft of her hair in his fingers,

“Such a pity,” he lamented, “You stand against me, rather than with me.”

“And why’s that?” Bloom raised a brow at him.

He chuckled again, letting the hand move down the length of her fiery hair, bringing one of the longer strands up to his mouth, where he placed a gentle kiss upon it, “I have been seeking,” he admitted, “For someone to share my power with,”

“We already share power,” Bloom reminded him.

“A power,” he corrected her, “I need someone strong, to stand by my side, someone powerful, someone determined, someone,” and here his eyes bore into hers, “Just like you,”

“What a pity,” Bloom echoed his earlier sentiment, “Because I’d never join you,”

“Not willingly, you mean,” Valtor smirked, “Oh yes Bloom, I know all about the little fiasco with my former master and his little servant. There is darkness in you Bloom, radiant, beautiful darkness. And the power your darkness holds is nearly a match to my own. Together, we could hold the entire magical dimension in the palm of our hands.”

“And why would I want to do that?” Bloom asked him, folding her arms at him.

“Because with that much power, we could resurrect Sparx, your home,” Valtor cajoled, voice like dark silk as the tempting promise of his offer slid across her skin.

“I don’t understand,” Bloom shook her head, “Why would you want to bring back a planet you helped to destroy?”

“Why does there need to be some grand motive behind every little thing? Valtor shrugged as he took a few steps away from her, “Sometimes things are not done for some grand sake. What if I tell you I want to do it just because I could? With that much power it would certainly be easy. Perhaps I would want to resurrect the planet just to destroy it all over again. Or perhaps,” he looked at her out the corner of his eye and smiled, “I would do it for you,”

Her wings faltered, “F-for _me_?” she didn’t understand.

“I can be generous,” Valtor reminded her, “What’s the resurrection of one tiny little planet in exchange for the entire universe?”

Oh right, the cost of reviving Sparx would be putting countless other planets under his control to decimate as he saw fit. And it was a price she wasn’t willing to pay, not for her parents, not for Sparx, not for anything.

“It doesn’t matter,” Bloom shook her head and was the one to turn her back on him now, “Because I’m never joining you,”

“Funny thing about never,” she froze as his voice came from right beside her ear and she was suddenly aware of the heat of his body, of his power at her back, “It usually comes far sooner than you might think,” thoughts flashed through her head, and he had to have been doing something to listen in on them because his mouth dipped even lower and in a soft whisper added, “Especially when you already don’t want me to die.”

“Stop that,” it was meant to be an order, but it came out weak. As weak as she felt inside for having compassion for her enemy. She knew him, knew it was something he would exploit. He always had.

“Stop what?” he played obtuse, “For once I am offering you honesty and you wish for lies instead? Or is it because lies are prettier and tend to hurt less?”

“I said, stop it,” Bloom repeated through gritted teeth.

“Or you’ll what?” he taunted, “You’ll dust me? I don’t think you possess enough darkness to do that.”

“I destroyed Darkar,” Bloom reminded him, turning and coming square against his chest, “I can just as easily do the same to you,”

“You could,” Valtor shrugged lackadaisically, “But you won’t,”

“And why do you think that?”

“Because,” Valtor smirked, “You’d have to hate me first,”

“Who’s saying I don’t?”

“You are,” he informed her, “Perhaps not with words, but I am as much a piece of you as you are of me. We are connected, and I will always understand you like no one else can. You have spent seventeen years feeling alone, and I am the only one like you. Just as you are the only one like me,”

Tiny balls of fire appeared in her hands. She wanted nothing more than to blast him for even suggesting such a thing, “I am _nothing_ like you!” she hissed.

“No,” he softly agreed, “But you could be.” he began to pace, “You are good, this is true, but there is darkness in you. A capability for cruelty and destruction that lies deep within you. And despite choosing good, you always manage to let some of it slip out. When you have something to protect, or nothing left to lose.

“We are connected, we are similar, whether you like to admit it or not,” he finished, but there was no pride in his statement. And it only took Bloom a moment to realize why. Because if they were similar, it meant that,

“Then is there any good in you?” Bloom asked him, wanting, no _needing_ to know that the only person who was like her wasn't pure evil.

“Not much,” Valtor told her, “but enough to make me weak, according to some.”

“I… but…”

“You didn't truly believe I was _all_ evil, did you?” Valtor asked her, “Or did that make it easier to stand against me? Make it easier to believe you _could_ kill me, when it came down to it?”

“Well…” Bloom trailed off, not bothering to respond. Because they both knew he was right.

“How will you feel Bloom,” Valtor pressed, “If by chance you do defeat me? How will you live, knowing the one person who can understand you is gone? Either destroyed by your hands, or imprisoned back in the Omega Dimension?”

“That's not for me to decide,” Bloom turned away from him.

“Isn't it? We both know that the only one of you Alfea Faries who even stands a chance of defeating me is you.”

“You're lying,” Bloom hissed, “You're lying about that and you're lying about having even a modicum of good in you!”

“You think so?” Valtor asked her, “Even though you've seen compassion from me before?”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“You really think if I had wanted Faragonda dead she would have gotten trapped in a stasis state inside that tree instead?”

“But you killed my parents!”

“As far as I'm aware your parents; Michael and… Vanessa their names were? As far as I am informed they are perfectly alive and healthy,”

“You know who I’m talking about,” Bloom snarled at him, “My birth parents, Oritel and Miriam,” she paused for a moment, “And how do you know about my earth parents anyways?”

He tutted at her, “My dear little fairy princess,” he chuckled, “You are my destined enemy. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t watch over you wherever you go?”

“You’ve been spying on me this whole time!”

“I assure you, not _all_ the time,” Valtor parried, “It does get dull to hear you girls discussing the most inane of topics, and I can afford the privacy of hygiene after all.”

“Why you-” Bloom seethed, gnashing her teeth and feeling her power flow to her hands.

“And as for Oritel and Miriam,” Valtor quickly added, “I never _said_ they were dead, now did I?”

“Then where are they?”

“How amusing you think I’m going to answer you,” Valtor smirked, “But getting back to the matter at hand. You wonder if I am good, I am not. But I do _possess_ some good in me.”

“I still can’t believe that’s the truth,”

“Believe it Bloom,” Valtor placed his hands behind his back, “The Great Dragon is the source of all magic in this world. And as such the Dragon’s Flame; its fire, is the source of all light and life, all that is good in this world.”

“But you were made from a corrupted spark!”

“And you were not,” Valtor shot back, “Yet you have just as much capacity for evil as I do for good, when it comes down to it. Whether I like it or not, in order to possess the power of the Dragon Fire, there does have to be _some_ good in me. My very existence is tied to that irrefutable fact.”

“Then why don’t you act on it?”

“What a question indeed,” Valtor chuckled, “Why don’t I act on it? Or rather, why don’t I join you, that’s what you’re _really_ asking is it not?”

“Someone must have thought your life had value,” Bloom reasoned, “Or else you wouldn’t have been locked in the Omega Dimension.”

“You can search for meaning in that which has none all you like Bloom,” Valtor told her, “It will not change a thing. Nor will you change my mind.”

“And what makes you think you can change mine?”

“Who said I wanted to?” Valtor tilted his head to the side, “I merely lamented the waste of all your potential. The power to rule the entire cosmos literally rests in your fingertips and yet you are content to live as a normal teenage girl, you will go on to become just another normal fairy, marry a normal prince, and spend the rest of your days as a normal queen rearing unexceptional children who will continue your legacy and if you’re lucky your looks will last instead of your lackluster king of a husband seeking comfort in a younger woman.”

“Sky would never do that to me!” Bloom bit at him.

“So sure?” Valtor raised an eyebrow at her, “Well, boys _do_ take after their fathers. And if the King can pull off such a feat, what’s to stop his heir from doing the same?” at her indignant expression, “A white lie here, a missed engagement there, and suddenly it’s all too easy, especially when everyone either wants you or has too much to lose from denying you.”

It was a low blow, but effective nonetheless. Especially after everything they’d already gone through as a couple. Bloom rubbed at her arms, suddenly feeling cold. Her unease was palpable though, and as she caught a glimpse of his smug, triumphant expression she refused to let him have the last word.

“I hate you,”

“Do you?” he cocked his head at her once more, “Really now?”

“Of course I do,” Bloom put her hands on her hips, “How could you possibly doubt that?”

“Then destroy me,” Valtor challenged her, “Here and now. Hit me with everything you’ve got, Fairy of the Dragon Flame.”

She felt her rage build and pool in her hands. Even if it was just a dream, even if there were no consequences, no repercussions, she aimed, and blasted the energy into the abyss.

“I can’t do it,” she lamented, falling to her knees and hating how weak she felt.

“Then do you hate me?”

“I should,” Bloom struggled to her feet, “I do,” she said a bit more confidently.

“No,” Valtor shook his head, “You hate what I’ve _done_ , what I’ve taken from _you_. But you do not hate _me_.”

“I _do_!” Bloom repeated insistently, “I hate you! Even if my compassion prevents me from killing you that doesn’t mean I don’t!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Valtor shrugged yet again. They stood toe to toe now.

“You really are confident you’ll win,”

“I am winning currently am I not?” Valtor offered, “But that isn’t it.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Bloom made a sound of frustration, to which her foe smirked,

“Ah, there it is; the fire, the aggression, the darkness within you,” he remarked, looking far less removed than he had even a moment ago, “Hate me Bloom, hate me all you like. But allow me to let you in on one little thing,”

His smug expression had her fist balled and shot at him before she could truly think. He caught it easily, grasping her by the wrist and holding it tightly as she struggled to escape, “Hatred is a passion my dear,” he whispered silkily, “And like all passions, it will pass.”

“Never!” Bloom hissed, “You want me _dead_!”

“I want you at my side or out of my way,” Valtor corrected, “But since you’ll do nether, I will do what I must. Obstacles must always be removed,”

She burned with rage, but he didn’t let her go.

“Of course, another funny thing about passions,” Valtor drawled as he stared her in the eyes, “Is that they can always be… redirected.”

Before she had the chance to retort or even ask what he meant he’d used the grip on her wrist to tug her off balance and into him, using the shock of her unexpected momentum to draw her into a kiss. Bloom had kissed boys before, Andy and Sky were the bulk of her experiences in the matter. But Valtor’s kiss was nothing like that. It was deep, it was possessive, it was all consuming. Like the fire within her. And their powers flared in recognition. Two pieces of a whole. Light and its shadow, yin and its yang. His darkness was not enough to consume her light, nor was her light enough to consume his darkness. Idly, she wondered if this was what desire felt like, this sort of kindled flame that could flare with just the right spark. Sky’s kisses had been chaste, reverent even, perhaps because he’d known he had a great deal to make up for and wanted to assure her that he cherished her. But to that end, it also felt like he was afraid she’d break like fine brittle paper at the slightest touch. Even in a dream, Valtor was a conqueror, a man who took what he wanted with no remorse. But this was perhaps the first time such an attitude was a good thing instead of a bad. Without even realizing it, Bloom had slid her fingers up over his shoulders to tangle in his hair. She felt one of his at the back of her neck, the other at the curve of her waist.

This was wrong. On so many levels this was wrong. Even if it was nothing more than a dream, even if dreams could be unpredictable, uncontrollable. This was Valtor, destroyer of Sparx, potential destroyer of Oritel and Miriam, the reason she was alone. But she wasn’t alone, she had him. He was her enemy in the real world, she couldn’t feel anything but hatred for him. And yet… he was right, damn him! Hatred was a passion, and he was turning hers _into_ passion. The worst part was, she couldn’t even find the strength to be mad about it. Perhaps this had been simmering under the surface from their first meeting, this draw between of borne of their powers, then of their adversarial nature. Perhaps it was natural, simply the balance of power at work. Bloom didn’t know, and at this point he’d kissed her too senseless to care.

But even in a dream, something had to intrude. The need for air. They broke apart with far more force than she would have expected; Valtor practically shoving her off of him. She stumbled back as she panted, unsure of what the cause had been. But one look at him was enough to tell. Valtor had kissed her to teach her a lesson. It had been another trick, simply him toying with her. He hadn’t expected _her_ to affect _him_. But she had. The kiss had. He looked confused, angry, with her or himself she couldn’t quite tell. Before she could say a word, he vanished, as though he’d never been there to begin with. Bloom awoke with a start, finding herself back in her bed at Alfea. A dream, of course it had all been a dream. She’d known that from the very beginning. Except, there had been a moment where it had all felt so real. When it felt like not even their flesh had been in the way of their fires connecting, reconverging. But that was foolish. Of course it was all a dream. Only in a dream would she ever allow herself to fall into a scene straight out of one of Stella’s romance novels with her sworn enemy.

Thankfully, she didn’t have time to dwell on it as at that moment the girls burst in with takeout, specially retrieved from Earth. Just for her. Even as she knew she could never reveal what had happened in her dreams, whether that Valtor had been the real deal or just her imaginings, Bloom knew she was lucky to have friends that would always support her, with few exceptions.

Over in Cloud Tower Valtor was rudely awoken from his impromptu nap in the former headmistress’ office by the arrival of his little witchlings. The Trix were now more annoyance than asset, but he kept them around, disposable bodies were always useful, especially when they were far more concerned with courting his favor than their own alliance. Some sisterhood, when he could so easily break it apart with nothing more than a charming smile and a promise for power. A pity they still didn’t realize there was only one being who would ever be worthy of it, and she didn’t want a single thing to do with it. Such virtue was commendable, but it only made him want to corrupt it.

It had been a surprise, to feel a tug at the fire inside of him so strong it had dragged him out of consciousness and into the mind scape of his sworn enemy. Powerful as she was in the waking world it had been almost disarming how easily she gave it all to him in there. Perhaps a hidden side of her who just wanted to have someone who held control when for the past three years her life had had very little of it. How easily she’d folded when he’d been honest, the best weapon was sometimes the truth. And he knew that if he tried again, if he continued to push, while Bloom may never fold and join him in darkness, she would also never be able to destroy him. Even if he lost the battle, he could always plan for a war.

Valtor ignored the chattering of the Trix as they spoke in turns about where they had been, what they had done, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera and instead turned his attention to the crystal ball that sat on the desk. Once again it focused on his favorite fairy, and though he could hear them begin to doubt his motives, which would again need to be corrected Valtor find he didn’t so much mind. They would think what they wished regardless, and if nothing else they knew, Valtor loved learning, and now there was one particular fairy he wanted to learn _everything_ about.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Thank you all so much for reading and let me know if you want more. Until next time everyone!


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